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Year 8 Student Blog: Project Rockit

As part of our Respectful Relationships initiative, our students participated in a workshop that addresses cyberbullying through a strengths-based framework of empathy, respect and a sense of community. This workshop navigates the risks rewards of challenging cyberbullying and presents a range of in-touch, realistic strategies for students to tackle online hate.

As well as addressing the well-known risks of digital communications, the workshop utilises students’ appreciation of current social networking sites and online youth culture to leverage the positive potential for all of us to challenge online hate instead of standing by watching.

Our Year 8’s reflect on their experience of the ‘Tackling Cyberbullying with Empathy’ workshop.

What did you think of the program?

“The program provided me with the information I needed to learn how to effectively deal with things.”

“It was interactive and fun, I liked that it wasn’t just someone telling us what to do.”

“The program involved activities where we could interact, talk and learn.”

“It was relevant and relatable- so many of us are on social media, and do so much online.”

“It was engaging, with really interesting activities.”

What key message did you take from the program?

“I learnt what Cyber Bullying is.”

“The dangers of social media.”

“How to report issues, and the importance of getting screenshots and staying anonymous.”

“The importance of understanding how people feel.”

“How to act on social media.”

“Understanding privacy settings online.”

“How to be safer online.”

How are these programs relevant to you?

“These programs talked about real people with personal stories and talked about what really happens online.”

“These programs are important as they assure people don’t feel like they are alone.”

“The program helps people to feel safe.”

“The program taught us how to do things differently in relation to privacy and posting.”

“The program makes people feel safer.”

Year 8 Respectful Relationships Program:

What do you think of the program?

“It is important because it helps us build more confidence to be who we want to be.”

“It encourages us to think about how other people might be feeling in a fun way.”

“We learn how to be more accepting and understand diversity.”

“It teaches us about real life.”

“We learnt more about what some key terms mean.”

“It makes learning and school spaces safer.”

“It gives people a chance to be confident to be themselves.”

“It gives us a chance to be who we want to be.”

“The more we learn about it, the more accepting it will be.”

What key message did you take from the program?

“Not to judge.”

“Everyone should be equal.”

“How to deal with stereotypes.”

“Don’t discriminate.”

How are these programs relevant to you?

“We become more exposed to diverse communities which is important for life, work and learning.”

“If we become more aware we become more mindful.”

“This is important in the future when we work and have relationships.”

“The program taught us how to deal with the issue of being called out when you don’t fit a stereotype.”

“The program encourages inclusion and makes us feel safe.”

“We get stereotyped too, and it is not always positive.”

“We become more comfortable to learn if we can be ourselves and feel safe.”

“How you act in life comes from school and family.”

“We can be better in the real world.”

“We are going to come across lots of different people.”

“We learnt how to be more aware about people’s feelings, how we act and what we say.”

“We want to create more equal places where everyone is included.”

“The more comfortable we are to be ourselves, the better we learn and the better our relationships are.”